Why Is “Plant A Tree” The Worst Environmental Advice Ever Told
People who tell you to plant a tree but don’t tell you which tree to plant can lead you to commit crimes against your local ecosystems
About two years ago, I decided to start my garden, and as customary, I shopped for plants I liked based on their looks. I had no idea back then that planting plants without the proper knowledge could lead to disastrous environmental modifications. Even worse, I was unaware of the harm some plants can cause outside their native zone range. Let’s talk about it.
A year after I started my garden, I noticed some of my plants and trees were thriving, and in fact, they were growing aggressively. Of course, I was happy; however, I started having some issues when some of my lantanas, for example, began smothering plants nearby. I found myself constantly pruning them, and it was not fun.
I began to do some research on how to contain lantana’s growth habits, and holy shit! I opened the door to things I ignored. I came across multiple resources, from the University of Florida down to local groups and individuals warning the public about invasive plants such as lantanas. I had no idea how detrimental it was to wildlife, the economy, and humans to plant invasive plants in my…
